Jets beat Predators, advance to West finals

By Teresa M. Walker

Published 9:50 pm, Thursday, May 10, 2018

NASHVILLE — The young Winnipeg Jets have grown up fast this postseason, so quickly that they are headed to the first Western Conference final in their short history after knocking off the NHL’s best team in the regular season.

Tyler Myers and Paul Stastny scored 2:06 apart in the first period, and the Jets defeated Nashville 5-1 on Thursday night in their first Game 7 — continuing a stellar run for a team swept in its previous two playoff appearances.

“The telling stat for me in this series is we played four games in here and never lost in regulation against the best team in the league,” Jets coach Paul Maurice said. “That’s what you worry about with a young team. It’s a physical series. We’ve got some skaters. ... But that’s a difficult thing to do, to get out on the road ... to play well in here as consistently as we did, it’s impressive.”

Stastny finished with a second goal and an assist, and Mark Scheifele also had two goals. Blake Wheeler and rookie Kyle Connor each had two assists.

Connor Hellebuyck made 36 saves for Winnipeg, which won three of four games in Nashville after missing the Presidents’ Trophy by three points to the Predators.

Photo: Frederick Breedon / Getty Images

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Paul Stastny of the Jets celebrates scoring against Predators goalie Pekka Rinne in the first period. Rinne was pulled after allowing goals 2:06 apart.

Paul Stastny of the Jets celebrates scoring against Predators goalie Pekka Rinne in the first period. Rinne was pulled after allowing goals 2:06 apart.

Photo: Frederick Breedon / Getty Images

Jets beat Predators, advance to West finals

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The Jets now host Vegas in Game 1 on Saturday night in a conference final nobody could’ve predicted when this season started.

P.K. Subban scored for Nashville, now the ninth Presidents’ Trophy winner in 10 years not to win the Stanley Cup.

Pekka Rinne, Nashville’s Vezina Trophy finalist along with Hellebuyck, was chased for the third time in the series after giving up two goals on seven shots. He lasted just 10:47 for the quickest exit by a starting goalie in a Game 7.

“It’s heartbreaking,” Hellebuyck said of seeing Rinne pulled.

Rinne tried to take responsibility for the Predators’ season ending earlier than they expected.